Overcoming struggles

By Tomi T

Moving is never easy, especially when leaving the place you were born and raised for a new one about which you know very little. Mariana Castaneda Avila, a student from Yerba Buena High School, immigrated to the US from Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2015.

From that point onward, she faced numerous challenges, including racism, adapting to a different culture, and feeling excluded. However, with the support of her family, friends, and her passion for listening to music, she learned to move forward in life.

Before moving to America, Avila's childhood was exciting,  and even today, she holds joyful memories of spending time with her neighborhood friends.

She recalls, "I remember my mom used to work at a corner store right by our house, and whenever we would leave school or church, she would give us money to buy snacks." Avila then explained how she would take those snacks to her friends house and surprise them..

Avila's childhood serves as a reminder of the innocence and freedom we all experience while growing up. Carefree of problems and focused on our curiosity of the world.

However, like any real story, reality was not all sunshine and rainbows. Avilia went on to elaborate on the struggles of moving to America and adjusting to the culture.

 "It was really hard—like a new school, a new city, new everything. I had to make new friends," she described. 

As much as Avila was facing her own challenges, she also witnessed her family going through their own difficulties.

She said, "My parents weren't able to learn English and sacrificed a lot to provide better opportunities for me." Avila then explained that because she was lighter-skinned than her older brother and had learned English more quickly, she did not face the same level of bullying due to her seeming less Mexican.

 However, this didn't mean she wasn't facing bullying on her own end. "They treated me like a foreigner; they wouldn't get to know me, and I had to pretend I didn't know them," said Avila. Tough as she was, it really hurt her; she was being called slurs and gossiped about behind her back just for being an immigrant.

 Everyone has their own backstories and private battles in life, and it's not easy moving forward with so much burden. Fortunately for Avila, she has people she can lean on. 

“I go to my mom and my two best friends, Ashley and Sevelina because they're always there to support me,” said Avila. She then adds that she goes to her brother Julian, who recently graduated from high school, for advice. 

Without a doubt, it's fortunate to have people that listen and care for you, but not all circumstances will allow for that. 

During Sophomore year, Avila had issues with friends, so she cut them out and only kept her two close friends but through this experience, music allowed her to be immersed in another world. “With music, I was able to feel less alone; I felt like I was with something that wasn't a person that could hurt me,” said Avila. 

“It was there for me,” she concluded.

While everyone has walked through different paths in life, encountering different obstacles, we all come out with unique perspectives and strengths that were made through hardships. 

However, we should never forget who or what supported us on our journey of growth. For Mariana, it was her incredible family and friends, as well as music that helped her become the person she is today.